In its letter, the industry body pointed to a recent incident of fraudsters advertising numbers disguised as customer support numbers of Mobikwik on Google. “The topmost result of a Mobikwik helpline number on the search engine is a fraudulent link – through which scamsters ask for UPI transfers or send UPI pull requests – meant to swindle help seekers,” ADIF said.
It also added that tech firms, such as Google, charge hefty fees to host these ads and make profits from them. It said that these fraudulent ads contribute a significant part of the revenue of tech firms all the while exposing users to high risks.
“The blatant misuse of their platform by big tech firms is going unchecked and Indian citizens are paying a price for it – what is more is that the tech giant is using this to make profits. A major concern is the lack of adequate regulation of false advertisements,” Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director of ADIF, said.
Through their letter, ADIF has requested an audience with the MeitY secretary to help develop a robust mechanism for making a safe internet space accessible in the country.
Discover the stories of your interest
